Showing posts with label sweden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sweden. Show all posts
Monday, August 10, 2015
Picture perfect sunset
From our island of choice today. It was probably the best weather this summer.
This is a bird island, which we couldn't land on the first time we came here due to the protection given to the birds in earlier summer. The vegetation was very extra terrestrial, and most of the island was covered in blue mussel shells. We bbq'd ribs, corns, and yaki onigiri (grilled rice ball). Yum.
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Läckö Castle
At the lake side castle, originally built in the 13th century. It must have been a romantic sight for boats coming in from Lake Vänern, the largest lake in Sweden.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Blueberry picking on the side
Wild blueberries were everywhere in the forest when we went to pick chanterelle mushroom. You just needed to have some patience to pluck them one by one, otherwise I heard there is a scraping tool that will get all the blueberries on the branch in one scoop. A must have tool when in a Swedish forest.
Mushroom picking in the Swedish forest
For the first time in my mushroom picking history (I count 4 times), I was able to pick more than 1 mushroom! It was a true adrenaline rush (but more relaxed and magical) once you get into it. The target mushroom was the yellow chanterelle that are really yummy in white cream sauce. I was so into it, I had to stay on for 3 hours. As I remember the plucking bit now, I already want to go back to this magical forest tomorrow.
This will all be sauted in a cream sauce pasta or risotto. Mmmmm...
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Lysekil in western Sweden
The crispness of Scandinavian water is always unbeatable, even with the number of boats and people (for Sweden)!
Varberg in south west Sweden
It looks like you are walking on water, but this beach in Sweden has 10cm deep water for as long as you can see. For a Swedish water, it gets nicely warmed up during the day, and you can stay in for more than 10 minutes (or the entire day)!
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Finally, the real summer break!
For the last one week since we left Frankfurt for holiday, I've been saying today is the start of summer (everyday). But TODAY really felt like the start of my summer this year, as we finally reached the Swedish summer house where we will stay (and I will partly work from) for the next 5 weeks. Yohoo.
On the way here by car, we stopped by Hamburg, a small island in Denmark called Moen, Lund and Arild in Skåne in southern Sweden, then another summer place called Varberg in south west Sweden, and a pit stop in Gothenburg. We saw many beaches and stopped by a few different summer houses of friends and family. I never met so many parents over a few days (a nice treat to feel like a kid again)! And we also bought a boat which will arrive next week. Summer IS here!
On the way here by car, we stopped by Hamburg, a small island in Denmark called Moen, Lund and Arild in Skåne in southern Sweden, then another summer place called Varberg in south west Sweden, and a pit stop in Gothenburg. We saw many beaches and stopped by a few different summer houses of friends and family. I never met so many parents over a few days (a nice treat to feel like a kid again)! And we also bought a boat which will arrive next week. Summer IS here!
Saturday, June 20, 2015
How to make a Swedish midsummer flower crown
Midsummer is the most sacred day for the Swedes (period). I joined last year for the first time, and had sworn that I will make the flower crown, wear it, and dance around the pole this year.
First step, go pick some flowers outside (not at the store).
Third step, lay them out nicely on a table outside and think of a design over coffee and cinnamon rolls. Then use the thin birch branches with leaves and either some threads or wires to form the base. Stick in whatever flowers that may suit the person wearing.
Last step, dance around the pole of fertility among the kids and drunk adults!
First step, go pick some flowers outside (not at the store).
Seond step, bring home the flowers in the most romantic way (in your hand). On the way back, find some birch branches to form the base of the crown.
Third step, lay them out nicely on a table outside and think of a design over coffee and cinnamon rolls. Then use the thin birch branches with leaves and either some threads or wires to form the base. Stick in whatever flowers that may suit the person wearing.
Done! I made three. Interestingly, you do get better as you make more, so better make your own at the end.
Last step, dance around the pole of fertility among the kids and drunk adults!
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Sexy blueberry buns
I made blueberry buns improvising Jamie Oliver's sexy Swedish bun recipe. These are really, really, really good. Have one each night with a glass of cold milk and you will stay happy.!
Ingredients: A) For the dough - 20g of fresh yeast, 60g of butter, 500g of milk, 80g of sugar, 1 tea spoon of salt, 800g of flour, 10g of sour dough, 2 eggs, 12g of fresh cardamom. B) For the filling - 300g of frozen blueberries, 1 lemon worth of juice, and 2 lemons worth of lemon zest. C) For the oven pan - butter and brown sugar.
Steps: 1) Melt the butter over heat and mix with milk, to make a body temperature medium. 2) Break the yeast into pieces, and mix with 1), sugar, salt, 500g flour, sour dough, eggs, and crushed cardamom; then after dough becomes elastic, add the rest of the flour to make it into a dough texture and let it rest for 1 hour. 3) In a separate bowl, mix to make the filling (leave 1 lemon worth of zest). 4) Knead the dough flat and fill with majority of filling mix; fold it 3 times, then cut into 1.5-2cm strips to be rounded up into rolls. 5) On an oven pan, put some butter and brown sugar, then line up the buns and add the rest of the fillings on the rolls and sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest. 6) After letting it rise for 30-45 minutes, bake in a 180 degree oven for 20 minutes.
It is important to separate adding the flours to make an elastic dough. Once you bake these, freeze them in a plastic bag at night, so that you can enjoy a warm microwaved one everyday for the next few weeks.
Ingredients: A) For the dough - 20g of fresh yeast, 60g of butter, 500g of milk, 80g of sugar, 1 tea spoon of salt, 800g of flour, 10g of sour dough, 2 eggs, 12g of fresh cardamom. B) For the filling - 300g of frozen blueberries, 1 lemon worth of juice, and 2 lemons worth of lemon zest. C) For the oven pan - butter and brown sugar.
Steps: 1) Melt the butter over heat and mix with milk, to make a body temperature medium. 2) Break the yeast into pieces, and mix with 1), sugar, salt, 500g flour, sour dough, eggs, and crushed cardamom; then after dough becomes elastic, add the rest of the flour to make it into a dough texture and let it rest for 1 hour. 3) In a separate bowl, mix to make the filling (leave 1 lemon worth of zest). 4) Knead the dough flat and fill with majority of filling mix; fold it 3 times, then cut into 1.5-2cm strips to be rounded up into rolls. 5) On an oven pan, put some butter and brown sugar, then line up the buns and add the rest of the fillings on the rolls and sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest. 6) After letting it rise for 30-45 minutes, bake in a 180 degree oven for 20 minutes.
It is important to separate adding the flours to make an elastic dough. Once you bake these, freeze them in a plastic bag at night, so that you can enjoy a warm microwaved one everyday for the next few weeks.
Friday, December 26, 2014
Christmas day walk
It seems the 24th of December is the main Christmas event in Sweden, and there are many people walking about or going out with friends on the 25th. In that manner, we also took a stroll around a ruin that we had visited before.
While completely cold, the sun was lovely...
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